Razors with cartridges that pivot about journal bearings linking them to razor handles via handle arms having journal attachment means are well known in the art and have been available for several years.
These pivoting razors also feature a V-shaped cam positioned between the journal bearings on the cartridge bottom; while the handle employs a biased cam follower which tracks within the V along the pivot arc and add resistance to the pivot movement. This force tends to bias the cartridge equilibrium position in which the cam follower is positioned in the middle of the V. A stop is provided at the front and at the rear end of the cartridge to define the pivot arc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,104 issued Apr. 11, 1978 to Warren I Nissen et al. described such a razor.
Ideally a razor should be capable of including a pivoting or non pivoting function. The user should be able to exercise a choice. For example, non pivoting action may be preferred to trim mustache or sideburns or to shave around the nose and a single pivotable razor which could be locked in a fixed position would provide the advantages inherent in both shaving modes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,340 issued May 12, 1981 to Peter Bowman describes a cam follower subassembly particularly adapted for use with a razor handle for a pivoting cartridge wherein the pusher and cam follower are maintained as a subassembly by stops which work against a compression spring. No locking means is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,663 issued Jan. 5, 1982 to John F. Ciaffone describes a razor handle for a pivoting razor cartridge with locking means for restraining the cartridge at one end of the pivot cycle which is released by applying manual force greater than that encountered during shaving. This latching means is a single flexible cantilevered member extending from the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,247 issued Feb. 17, 1976, to Carbonell describes a pivoting system with a complex bulky locking mechanism which restricts rather than stops the cartridge and employs a complex assembly in the gripping portion of a handle with a cartridge which is different than the center positioned V-cam cartridge used in pivoting razors currently.
There are other patents which teach locking and pivoting combinations in razors of different designs or for different purposes, e.g., for maintaining a blade assembly in a particular fixed position after the assembly is pivoted or assemblies which utilize other cartridges. These patents are U.S. Pat. No. 1,890,334 issued Dec. 6, 1932 to Muros; U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,302 issued to Forrance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,995 issued May 9, 1967 to Bord; U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,103 issued Apr. 11, 1978 to Estandion; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,694,337.
Several Japanese publications also apparently disclose the concept of locking a pivoting cartridge when attached to a handle. These are Japanese Patent application publication Nos. 103987/85; 136084/80; Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. 151086/81; 168273/84; 165170/84; and 24270/85.
Also relevant are Japanese Utility Model Nos. 1,213,205; 1,502,533, 1,514,870; 1,539,976 and 1,624,951 published for opposition and Japanese Patent Application Nos. 4,172,978; 1,172,974; 1,178,644 published for opposition.